Vacuum feed device



Feb. 19, 1929.

O. L; LOUGHEAD VACUUM FEED DEVICE Filed March '13. 1922 3 Shpts-Sheet 1 1! viii? .Illld Feb. 19, 1929.

O. L. LOUGHEAD VACUUM FEED DEVICE Filed March 13. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 19, 1929. 1,702,265 7 0. L. LOUGHEAD VACUUM FEED DEVICE Fil ed March 13. 19 22 a Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

OSCAR L. LOUGHEAD, F WISCONSIN;

VACUUM FEED DEVICE.

Application filed March 18, 1922. Serial 10. 543,228.

My invention relates to vacuum feed devices, and more particularly that type of vacuum feed device adapted to supply fuel from a low level supply tank to the carburetor of an internal combustion engine. I contemplate a compact fuel feed device which may be made substantially a unit with the carburetor, being made either; as an entirely separate deviceto be attached adjacent the inlet to the floatchamber of a carburetor of substantially any design or to be attached to'the float chamber of a carbureter as a substitute for a part of the float chamber or to be made integrally with the float chamber of the carburetor.

I also contemplate a feed device of such novel constructionand design that the various parts may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled without disturbing any ad just-merit, thetloat, the snap-over mechanism and its suppbrtforming a bgiit which rnay be removed as a whole, while the majority of the ports entering the chambers of the device and the coupling means specified are mounted on one piece which lilrewise may be removed as a unit.

Among other objects are the use of but one adjustment for regulating both the suction and atmosphere valves, the provision of a de sign such that sheet metal stampings may ellectively be used for the walls of the chambers, and also means for attaching the device directly to the float chamber bit a carburetor having its inlet valve at its bottom, the attachment being of such novel character that the attaching means may be used as a fuel conduit to the float chamber.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a vacuum feed deviceernbodying the principles of my invention, the device being mounted upon the inlet of a carburetor;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the device taken in the plane of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device with the upper or suction chamber removed together with the upper central supporting post; o 1

Figure 4 is a plan section taken on the line -l-4 of Figure 2 and showing the snap-over mechanism adapted. to co-operate with the valve seat 21 Figure 5 is a vertical detail section of the snap-over mechanism taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4 Figure 1s 'a vertical longitudinal section of the devlce as attached directly over and rechamber;

Figure 7 is a view partly in longitudinal vertical section of the device made integrally with the carburetor float chamber; and

Figure 8is a bottom section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7 the float mechanism of the carburetor float chamber being omitted.

Referring for the present to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, I show the device as a complete unit- 10, which may be threaded by a nipple at its base into the elbow 11 or other fitting communicating with the inlet of a float chamber 12 of a carburetor 13.

The device comprises a suction chamber 14 enclosed by an inverted cup or bowl 15, preferably stamped from sheet metal, and a supply chamber 16 enclosed by a lower cap or bowl 17, similarly stamped from sheet metal. Interposed between the bowls and 17 is a plate 18 which constitutes respectively the bottom and. top of the suction chamber 14 and the supply chamber 16. Into the upper surface of plate 18 and communicating with a radially drilled suction port 19 is a hollow plug 20, the upper edge of which constitutes a valve seat 21. A hollow supporting post 22 is threaded onto the plug and extends upwardly through an aperture in the top of the bowl stamping 15 where it is engaged by hollow cap nut 23 which serves to clamp the bowl 15 against the plate 18 forming a fluid tight joint therebetween.

Threaded into the upper end of the supporting post 22 is ashort sleeve 24 into which in turn is threaded a hollow screw 25., the

lower edge of which forms an adjustable valve seat 26. A look nut 27 serves to secure the vertical adjustment of the valve seat 26 and also to insure an air tight connection between the screw and'the sleeve 24. Within the reduced bore of the supporting post 22 is reciproca-bly mounted a valve stem 28 provided at its lower end with a taper-mg point placing the usual cover of a carburetor float lti Ell

to control the admission of suction through the suction port 19 to which suction is led by any suitable means such as a conduit 29 communicating with the intake manifolol 30 oil the engine. A loosely fitting conical cap 31 is provided at the upper and reduced end ot the valve stem 28, the cap joint 81 being; plOVhlGCl with a bore sulliciently large to allow a limited universal movement of thecap relative to the valve stem 28, whereby the former will always center'itselt correctly in the valve seat 26. Below the cap 81 the valve stem 28 is provided with a pair at spa-cecl tlanges 3% be tween which lies the bifurcated encl ot a valve actuating lever 33 which is pivotecl at ill to a pair of cars 3535 struch from or tormetl on the post T he outer encl of the lever 33 carries a horizontal transverse reel 36 at the entls of which are securetl the ends of a pair of tension springs 3?. 7

It substantially li -shaped supporting brachet 38 is supportetl upon the ears ot the post E22 by means ot portions 39' ot the legs of the ll bracket which are bent baclr upon themselves in spaced relation. 1; pair oil stucls 40* project inwardly from the web ll oi the Ll bracket 38. ittl-shapecl lever 4% preferably formed of strap metal similar that usedin the ll bracket 3c is mounterl with its web 43 lying on the inner surface at the web at, being pivotally supported in that position by the stutls ll] which project through suitable apertures in the web their tree encls the legs ot the ll lever are secureolito the opposite encls ot he saicl tension springs Ell, Depending lugs at are tormecl ih'om legs of the ll lever to these lugs are pivotally securetl small angle braclrets as, which seourecl to the upper surface oil a float he tloat is proviclecl with a'central openin 9 whereby the ally reciprocable along the own Q! at anti 5 tree entls ot the lever are above a. rlearl, center relation between the pivot oil the actuating lever anal outer encl or re latter whereby the inner earl of valve actuating lever contacts the lower flange oil the valve stem causing the lower curl of the stem to enact i. it i the seat 2 to prevent the admission suction throm'h the bore l It will he notetl-that this position the valve cap M is away littlfil its seat 5% allowing atmospheric pressure to enter the suction chaanber throuah the hollow screw the ape a 23 in the cap nut 5213. The admission ol atmosphere to the suction chamber it allows the fuel to pass through a checlr valve ll supporterl on plate 18 into the supply chamber l6.

As the float t5 lowers due to the tall in the fuel level; the U lever will be swung viownwartlly about the studs 4J3 flue to the pivotal connection between the lugs one the brackets of the float until the ones at t intranet the tension springs which are CflII'lGCl by the ll lever 4% pass below a (lead center relation with the pivot 3t ot the valve controlling lever 33 and its pivotal connection with the opposite ends of the springs, at which time the levers 38 will be caused to snap over in a well-known manner, raising the valve stem 28 to its alternate position in which the pointed cap 31 will seat against the valve seat 26, closing the suction chamber It to atmosphere and aclmittingr suction thereto through the now open valve seat 21. The valve stem 28 is obviously loosely fitting in the post Qflarnl accortiingly when it is unseateol from the seat 91 the suction through the radial bore l is at once eliective in the suction chamber The suction thus createrl in the chamber it serves to thaw luel thereto through the supply concluit ancl elbow fitting; 5O aml the ports in the plate it. The elbow it will be notecl,v is provicletl with an outwarcl flow resin lg; ball chcclr valve which is provitlecl with a light expansion spring 5?) clesignetl to holrl the valve closecl against only very low pressure. the purpose ot' this being to prevent-the tlootlin of the. tloat chamber when the loci supply tanlr is higher than the vacuum teecl clevice such as might occur with an automobile on a steep hill. l

prefer to so construct this valve thatthe ball will not completely prevent baclr how, but will allow incl in chamber to chain back into the tool suppl tanlr after stantling a few hours. The cheeh valve 1, previously reterrerl to, which supportetl in the plate l8 ancl connaiunicates between the float cham ber ll anti the suppl v' chamber 16. is in the form. of elbow the lower and horizontal por ion of which is provitlecl with a ball 5t anti 2 valve seat 5hso position ed that the center 0L the rave seat is somewhat above the the ball as itnormally rests in its center or inoperative position. ll hen suction is atlinitted to suction ch aniber the ball 54.- will be tlrawn to the valve seat and litte l slightly to seatthereaa'ainst but when the suction in the suction chamber is destroyed,

the ball lilwill clrop by gravity unscating its from valve seat 55. In this way it is insurerl that the chech valve l8 will at all times be open encept when suction is aclmittctl to the suction chamber l there being no op portunity corrosion or adhesion of the ball against the valve seat. i

A lower post 56 is threarled the plate 18 tlepencls therefrom, a reclucecl portion of the post passing; through an aperture in the bottom of the lower bowl stamping l? and provitlefi with a nut 57,,"wl1ereby the bowl It? is clamped tightly u 'ainst the lower surface of the plate 18 and also against a shoul- (ler 1'58 on the post 56 to term a fluid tight joint therebetween. Atits lower encl, the post 56 is proviolecl with a longitudinal bore 59 which communicates with cross bores 60 which are spaced above the bottom of the chamber 16 to form a drain trap for sediment and water which may be withdrawn through the drain cock 61. Atmosphere is introduced to the chamber 16 through a tube 62 supported in and passing through the plate 18 duit 29 and the fuel feed conduit 49 and unscrew the device from the elbow 11. However, 1t it is desired merely to adjust or inspect the snap-over mechanism, the cap nut 23 its-unscrewed, allowing the inverted bowl stamping to be withdrawn, after which the supporting post audits associated plug 20 may be unscrewed from the plate 18. It

is also to be noted that for making ad'ustments of the valves, it is necessary merely to remove the cap nut 23 when the hollow screw 25 and the lock nut 27 may be manipulated.

In F gure 6 I have illustrated the device of my invention as applied in a novel manner to the float chamber 70 of a carbureter' 71. there being no alterations required in either the float chamber or the carbureter. \The usual cover of the floatchamber which supports the valve controlling mechanism is replaced by a supply chamber casing 72 of the supply chamber 73, which bears on its bottom the valve controlling mechanism 7 D of the cover. The top of the supply chamber 73 is closed by a plate 74 (similar to plate 180i Figure 2) which is heldagainst the casing 72 by a plurality of screws 7 5. The plate 74 also constitutes the bottom of a suction chamber 76, the walls of which I have shown as betermed by a glass cylinder 7 7 and a cover 78. A pair of hollow tubes 78 are secured to the plate 7 4 and extend upwardly through the-cover 78 where they are provided with nuts 79 whereby the cover 7 8, the glass j'icylinder 7 7 and the plate 74 are all clamped togetherin air tight relation. The tubes 7 8 also form a passage communicating-between the nuts 79 and the supply chamber 7 3 whereby the latter is continuously relieved to atmosphere.

The several parts of the suction chamber 76 are also clamped together by the nut 23 and the supporting post 22, which, together with the snap-over mechanism and float, are similar to the corresponding parts shown in Figures 1 to 5, except that the float 46 is provided with longitudinal grooves, as shown at 80, to provide space for the tubes 7 8'. The plate 74, similarly to the plate 18, is provided with. inlet ports to the suction conduit 29 and the fuel conduit 49. The, carbureter float chamber is provided with a float controlled inlet valve 81 adjacent its bottom which seats against the upper end of a hollow plug 82. The usual intake fittin about the bottom of the float chamber has been supplanted by a fitting 83 secured, thereto by a plug 84,the fitting com rising a hollow hub 85 and a air of outward y and upwardly extending ho low arms 86. A pair of hollow vertical tubes 87 lie outside of the float chamber 70 and extend between bosses 88 at the lower edges of the casing 7 2 andthe ends of the hollow arms 86 of the fitting 88, the casing 72',being clamped against the top ofthe float chamber by cap nuts 89 at the lower ends of the tubes 8' will be noted that a continuous assage is at forded between the su ply cham r 73 and the valve seat 82' of the oat chamber by means of the tubes 87, the arms 86, the assages 90 in the plug 84 and the hollow pdug 82. A suitable vent to atmos here is provided adjacent the top of the out chamber 70, such as'by a small duct 91.

It is thus to be observed that I have provided a construction whereby a vacuum feed device embodying the principles illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 may be easily and rigidly secured to the float chamber of a standard carburetor without the necessity of removing the carbureter from the motor or of making any material alterations in the carbureter or its float chamber.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown the device as an integral part of the float chamber of a carburetor, usin a construction which embodies the princlples of the device hereinbefore described. The float chamber 70 is provided with an integral jacket concentric -therewith and iormin an annular supply chamber 96 around the sides and bottom thereot. The float chamber 70 and the jacket 95 are here shown as an integral casting, the two parts being tied together by a plurality of webs 95" adjacent their upper edges-and at their bottoms by a post 97 in which are threaded the valve seat bearing hollow plug 82 and a drain plug 98; The upper edges of the float chamber 70 and the jacket 95 terminate in the same horizontal plane and are covered'by a plate 99 secured thereto by means y,

One of thetubes 78 communicates directly with the float chamber 70, relieving it to at-. 'mosphere, while the other tube communicates through a cross bore 101 in plate 99 with the supply chamber 96, whereby the latter is also constantly relieved to atmosphere,

The check valve" 48 between the suction chamber 7 6 and the supply chamber 96 is here I sho-wn as being somewhat smaller than the check valve in Figure 6 in order that it may project downwardly into the supply chamber {iii-between the jacket 95 and the float chamber 70. The check valve l8 communicates with the suction chamber Y6 through a cross bore 102m the plate 99. The plate 99, similarly to the. plate Pl t Figure *6, comprises an inlet portal for the tuel conduit t9 and the 10 suction port 19 tor the suction conduit 29.

llt will be seen from Figures 7 and d'that without greatly increasing the site of the carbureter, the device or: my invention can be embodied integrally therewith with great compactness, sturdiness and economy,

While l[ have shown only specific embodiments of certain typeset vacuum teed devices embodying the principles of my invention, ll do not wish to be limited thereby further than by the scope of the appended claims.

What ll claim is:

l. A vacuum 'teed device comprising a suction chamber, a tuel inlet communicating therewith, an outlet therelrom including an inward flow resisting check valve, a post en- 'tendlng vertically through said suction ch amber, aligned suction and atmosphere valves tor creating and destroying suction in said suction chamber, a fuel level actuated snapover mechanism for reciprocating said valves comprising a lever pivoted on said post, one end of said lever engaging said valve and the other end secured to one end of a tension spring, a second lever pivotally supported from said post and secured to the opposite end of said spring, and a float lying about combination a. carburetor float chamber, a

jacket lying about said float chamber and constituting a supply chamber, a float control valve for admitting fuel from said supply chamber to' said float chamber, a suctionchamber above said float chamber, a plate covering the tops of said float and supply chambers, said plate constituting the bottom of said suction chamber, a suction conduit communicating with said suction chamber through said plate, a valve in said suction conduit, an air valve for relieving said suc tion chamber to atmospheric pressure, float actuated valve controlling means in said suction chamber for actuating said suction valve and said air valve wherebyeuction and atmosphere are alternately admitted to said suction chamber, a check valvev su ported from said plate and communicating etween said suction chamber and said supply chamber, said check valve being normal 7 opened :uvoaaot by gravity and bein closed by the suction in said suction chamber, and means tor admitting atmospheric pressure to said float chamber and said supply chamber.

3. A fuel teed device comprising a suction chamber, a fuel inlet thereto and outlet there- "trom having a checlr valve, valve means tor intermittently and alternately admitting suction and atmosphere to said chamber, and valve actuating means comprising a float in said chamber.. a stationary support carrying a fixed tl shaped bracket, 1 til-shaped lever pivotally supported at its web to the web 0t said tl bracket, a valve actuating lever tor actuating said valve means, a pair of tension springs between the ends of the legs out said tl lever and said valve actuating lever, said ll lever being moved about its pivot by said float to which it is pivotally connected whereby the admission of suction is governed by the tuel level in said chamber.

l. it suction tuel teed device comprising a lltl per end ot the post and communicating with 7 atmosphere, a valve member reciprocable within the post for alternately opening and closing the respective ports, and a float mechanism in the chamber for controlling the valve, the post together with the suction and atmosphere ports which it carries and the reciprocable valve being separable as a unit from the receptacle and base whereby the adjustment of the valves may be made before the unit is positioned in the receptacle.

5. In a suction fuel feed device, the combination of a receptacle having a base, side walls and a top, a hollow post secured to the base and extending through the chamber and the top, a suction inlet port at the lower end of said post, an adjustable atmospheric port at the upper cnd thereof, a valve member reciprocable between the-two ports to close them alternately thereby successively admitting suction and atmosphere to the suction chamber, float mechanism in the chamber for controlling the valve, and a nut threaded on the upper end of the post for clamping the top of the receptacle to the base and removable independently of the setting of the at-- mospheric port.

6. A fuel feed device comprising a suction chamber, a fuel inlet thereto and outlet there from having a "choke valve, valve means for tion and atmosphere to said 'chamber and valve actuating means comprising a float in said chamber, a stationary support for the float carrying 'a fixed laterally extending intermittently and alternately admitting sucbracket, alever pivot-all supported at its moved about its pivot by said float and havouter end to the outer end of said bracket, a ing pivotal connection with the float whereby valve actuating lever for actuating said valve the admission of suction is governed by the 10 means mounted upon said support, a tension fuel level in said chamber.-

spring connecting the inner end of said first In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe named lever and the outer end of said valve my name this 8th day of March, 1922.

actuating lever saidfirst named lever being OSCAR L. LOUGHEAD. 

